"One way to preserve Bear Butte as a sacred site is to buy nearby land with the intention of keeping it as open space. Individuals and groups who want to preserve the area surrounding Bear Butte State Park from encroaching development can raise money and buy the land adjacent to the park, including Allen's property.

It's not so far-fetched an idea. Conservation groups such as Nature Conservancy buy land to prevent development. And just last month the Northern Cheyenne tribe purchased 36 acres west of Bear Butte to preserve it. The tribe, in fact, has been purchasing land around Bear Butte and now owns more than 750 acres surrounding the park.

Encroachment on Bear Butte will continue to be an issue in the future. Based on the hundreds of people who peacefully demonstrated against [Jay] Allen's license application, Meade County officials ought to consider enacting zoning that would limit commercial development near the state park and respect the sanctity of Bear Butte.

There is plenty of land near Sturgis for biker bars, campgrounds and concert venues that won't encroach on Bear Butte. However, Allen has a right to use his land in a manner consistent with existing zoning laws, and the county commission had no legal basis to deny Allen a beer license. If groups want to protect Bear Butte from Allen's proposed Sturgis County Line bar, they can raise money and make Allen an offer he won't refuse."

Get the Story:
Preserving Bear Butte (The Rapid City Journal 4/6)

Relevant Links:
Defenders of the Black Hills - http://www.defendblackhills.org/defenders

Related Stories:
Man surprised by opposition to proposed Bear Butte bar (4/4)
White Face: No development near sacred Bear Butte (4/3)
Northern Cheyenne Tribe buys land near Bear Butte (3/23)
Bill to create buffer zone around Bear Butte killed (02/01)
Bill would create buffer zone around Bear Butte (1/27)
Tribes can't collect fees in sacred site case (1/19)
Native American Day at South Dakota Legislature (1/18)
Opinion: Land use plans ignore tribal traditions (12/12)
Editorial: Permanent protection for Bear Butte (11/28)
Proposed bar near Bear Butte still under fire (10/31)
Man to change name, location of Bear Butte bar (10/28)
Respect urged at Bear Butte during high season (08/13)
Non-Indians press for access at sacred Bear Butte (07/16)
Plans for shooting range near sacred site scrapped (01/12)
Developers: Shooting range near Bear Butte still on (12/16)
Plans for shooting range near Bear Butte on hold (12/02)
Developers face deadline on proposed shooting range (11/14)
S.D. commission bans hunting at sacred site (11/07)
Janklow thought of shooting range by sacred site (10/17)
Janklow defends use of grant for shooting range (10/16)
S.D. governor says shooting range grant was OK (10/13)
Lakota group seeks protection of Black Hills (09/19)
S.D. to return grant for Bear Butte shooting range (09/19)
Protections for sacred sites called inadequate (06/19)
Federal funds used for shooting range near sacred site (03/25)
Judge to hear tribal suit against shooting range (3/19)
Four tribes file lawsuit to stop shooting range (03/04)